Le Volte dell’ Ornellaia 2017

Vineyard:

• Varietals: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 5% Cabernet
  Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
• Soils: deep bed of gravel on subsoil of clay and sandstone
• Size of the vineyard: 70 hectares
• Age of the vine: 15-20 years
• Planting density: 8 000 – 10 000 vines / ha
• Average Yield: 45-50 hl/ha
• Harvest: by hand

Vinification: fermented in stainless steel and concrete temperature-controlled vats at 30°C. The vatting lasts between 20 and 25 days.

Ageing: 14 months (75 % in 12 months barrels previously used for Ch. Beychevelle and 25% in new oak)

Bottling: at the chateau

Tasting Notes: Soft, elegant and fruity with excellent depth and breed. With Amiral, the objective is to make a wine which can be drunk earlier than the Grand Vin (with more Merlot). Ideally consumed after 3-7 years of ageing.

Food Pairing: This wine will perfectly accompany flavourful (red or white) meat dishes such as grilled lamb chops, braised shanks and meat stews. Also harmonious with most cheeses like Gruyère, Comté, Cantal, Reblochon, Beaufort … (avoid Roquefort and arguably Camembert). And of course, will also easily and gracefully accompany more simpler dishes like pizza and/or most barbecued foods.

Wine Spectator: Amiral de Beychevelle 2010 (90pts) Offers a juicy feel, offering a lightly roasted cedar frame to the dark plum, blueberry and blackberry fruit flavours, with a ganache-coated finish. Approachable now, but no need to hurry. Best from 2014 through 2024. – James Molesworth

The dark violet hue of the Louis M. Martini Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is indicative of its decadent blackberry, cassis and black cherry aromas and flavors. Earthy notes of truffle, smoky cedar and dried herbs unfold around this wine’s assertive tannins that will soften with age. Rich, expansive and well-structured with a long, lingering finish, this wine has aging potential of a decade or more.

Varietal : Cabernet Sauvignon

Yarra Valley, Australia

This wine was grown at our Highbow Hill Vineyard north of Yarra Glen township. The soils are sandy loam over clay and gravel over Yarra Valley mudstone. The Pinot Noir and Marsanne were planted in 1998.
Varietal: Pinot Noir 95%, Marsanne 5%

The colour is a clear light salmon, what the French would call “eye of partridge”. The nose has vibrant red fruit and spice aromas and the palate is surprisingly weighty with juicy fruit flavours and savoury complexity enhanced by great texture. This wine is perfect for sipping on its own and will pair handsomely with a range of foods – pan fried rainbow trout with new potatoes, smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches, sushi.